Striving to keep King's dream alive

Thomas Parham is a successful African American living and working in the city of his choice, but that wouldn't be so without Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle for equal rights, he said.

Parham, an Irvine resident, is vice chancellor of student affairs for UC Irvine, has three college degrees and has published several books. His accolades are too numerous to print.

For him, Martin Luther King Jr. Day this Monday is a chance to give thanks for what King and others like him did for African Americans and to reflect on what he can personally do to continue that legacy. He's already done a lot, especially with 100 Black Men of Orange County, but more on that later.

The Register interviewed Parham about Martin Luther King Jr. and the local black community just before he flew out to Washington, D.C., where he will attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Tell me about the African American community in Orange County.

It's relatively small. Two percent of the population; so that's about 60,000 of us. There is no center for it in the county. Just pockets dispersed all over, spread out. But there are several in prominent positions of leadership throughout the county, which is great. Michael Drake is the chancellor of UC Irvine. County Assessor Webster Guillory. The mayor of Tustin, Al Murray.

What is it like to be black in Orange County?

It's a blessing and a challenge. I love the ambiance, aesthetics and intellectual resources. It is a privilege to have great police. The hard part was creating a cultural comfort zone.

What do you mean by a cultural comfort zone?

For a long time, you had to drive to Los Angeles for everything: hair products, women's hair cuts, produce. You couldn't just go to the local grocery store and buy greens. You couldn't go to a black movie here. But all of that has changed gradually over the years. Nowadays, you don't have to go to Los Angeles for anything, except maybe black theater. We have churches here. There's even a barbershop now. These are important institutions in black culture.

What do you think about Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

“I'm excited that the nation is taking this day of service idea so seriously. It excites me because this is one of the best ways to operationalize King's dream and vision of helping make lives better.

(Writer's note: Thousands of O.C. residents will engage in community service activities through Monday in honor of King. Volunteers will get a homeless shelter ready to open in Fullerton, paint a map of the United States on the blacktop of a Santa Ana elementary school, box food in Garden Grove for the hungry, and sort medical supplies in Buena Park for disaster relief among the projects. Taking Martin Luther King Day Jr. “on” in this way is a fast-growing tradition.)

What message would you like to send out for Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Let's all confront any bias or assumptions we harbor about anyone in a different culture and stretch out over a demographic boundary to make a new friend or bring someone into our personal circle.

What is Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy?

King's legacy, beyond desegregation and all the legislation passed in the 1960s, is that we all have a right to be treated with dignity, that we all have a right to disagree, and that we should all continue to work on social justice issues and toward the creation of a more perfect union.

What would you like to say about Martin Luther King Jr.?

Many Americans have a superficial understanding and knowledge of King. They've heard his “I Have A Dream” speech, and everyone gets hung up on those 35 (iconic) words. But King preached and demonstrated deep love for our fellow man. He taught that love can overcome everything.

You have an extensive record of personal and community service achievements with leadership roles in agencies and nonprofits. What are you most proud of?

What I am most proud of is helping create Passport to the Future. We rolled it out in 1996, and in 17 years we've had no dropouts, no gang affiliations, no deaths – and 70 percent of the boys are college eligible when they graduate. Of course, I am also proud of building a family with my wife.

(Writer's note: Passport to the Future is a four-year program from 100 Black Men of Orange County, a nonprofit group Parham helped start, which helps African American boys recognize and develop their full potential in life, career and character. There are currently about 75 boys and young men in the program.)

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